


Second Chance

by Kiloueka



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mild/moderate Depictions Of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 18:50:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13793979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiloueka/pseuds/Kiloueka
Summary: During their battle with the infected YoRHa troops, 9S had inadvertently uploaded his and 2B's data into the pod network as he was accessing the backdoor to YoRHa. Before 9S had slipped too far into despair, pod 042 successfully managed to repair 2B just enough for her to find her boy.





	Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Belated happy 1 year anniversary Nier: Automata. I /was/ planning on finishing the next chapter in my series but it's been a huge pain in the ass for so long. Still no promises on when it'll be done, but I did manage to make some progress yesterday before I ragequit.

“The legends say that if one is lucky enough to find a lunar tear, it will grant any one wish.” The small android mumbled with hardly any life in his voice. He pressed his forehead against the black visor belonging to the one he cared most about as it dangled lifelessly from the unadorned brown post jutting out from the center of the cave.

“Well...” He continued. “I found a thousand of you... so does that mean I get a thousand wishes?” He weaved his fingers listlessly through his partner's visor.

“I don't need that many... I only have one... so I'm going to wish it a thousand times... Statistically, at least one of you should work, right?” 9S let out a small puff of air that could almost be considered a laugh by some. He sat silently for a moment longer before taking a deep, rattling breath and continuing.

“So please. Flowers, god, someone out there who is listening, please bring her back. Bring 2B back. Please. I lost everyone and everything. It... hurts... it hurts so much. I thought... I thought I could handle everything else if I had her by my side... but _she_ took her away from me too. Now I have...” He choked on his words and took a deep gulp of air to compose himself as much as he could. “Now I have no one... and I've... I've never been so alone.”

His shoulders shook as his body desperately tried to expel his sadness. Perhaps some time ago, tears would have accompanied his pitiful whimpering, but they had since dried up and all he could manage now were choked sobs and low whines.

“Please.” He begged, barely above a whisper. “Please.” He repeated, again and again.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there. His subconscious screamed at him to get up and finish his mission; there were still machines alive out there... as well as _her._ The monster that took everything away from him. He tried to get up at one point, but quickly gave up as he realized none of his limbs would respond to his commands.

“Just let me... have this moment...” He mumbled to no one in particular. “I need...”

The faint, yet distinct creak of the elevator caught his attention for the briefest moment as his mind groggily recalled who else might have a key to this sacred place.

 _It's just Emil._ He thought as he turned back to the post. _I suppose I should let him know... what happened._ He nearly resigned himself to ignore it completely, but a tiny flicker of something in the back of his mind turned his attention back to the doors.

As the elevator neared its destination, 9S began to pick up traces of a familiar voice, ceaselessly spilling out words too faint and muffled to hear. _Pod.. 042... that's 2B's pod..._

His eyes focused on the entrance, expression flashing between feelings of vague hope and defeated denial as the elevator creaked to a stop. _It's not, it's not. Emil must have picked it up. He's just bringing—_

The doors slid open agonizingly slowly to reveal the result of a single wish whispered to a thousand pairs of ears.

2B.

She was alive... barely. Her body slumped weakly against the cold metal of the elevator, head angled downward, pressed against the walls. She swayed dangerously to the side as she began to exit but she caught herself as her fingers gripped the doors to steady herself. Every step she took was labored and heavy, as if someone had attached lead weights to her legs.

Her pod continued to blare warnings and proposals at her until her head twitched in its direction and she barked something inaudible. It promptly ceased its talking and floated off to the side, waiting silently.

The moment both feet planted themselves in the hard stone of the cave floor, she finally lifted her head and met 9S' gaze. Her eyes were dull and had little life in them, yet her entire body seemed to perk up ever-so-slightly the moment she saw him.

A faint smile spread across her face as she stumbled forward agonizingly slowly, yet still faster than anyone in her condition should even consider moving. Her free hand slid along the grimy walls, helping her balance until she paused for a breath at the end of the tunnel; 9S let out a sharp gasp as the soft light of the lunar tears fully illuminated the extent of her injuries.

She looked positively terrible.

Around her midriff, her shirt and leotard had been clumsily torn away, revealing a jagged wound barely being held together with equally clumsy stitching. Blood seeped between the wiring, marbling with the sickly yellow staunching gel that cracks and oozes out. Her fingers are stained with quickly drying blood and grime, along with the rest of her body. Her hair wasn't much better off; dirt and muck were caked throughout and a rather large chunk of silvery strands had been cut or ripped away just centimeters from her face.

But she was alive.

She was alive, and 9S could hardly believe his eyes. He wanted to run to her, to help her, to comfort her, yet he found himself inching along at a snail's pace as his body ignored all commands. He couldn't even manage to cry out her name until she opened her mouth and forced out a single word.

_“Nines.”_

“2-2B!” 9S snapped out of his stunned silence and dashed forward, catching her in his arms as her legs finally gave out from under her. He carefully lowered her to the ground, and pulled her in closer, shivering at the sharp coldness of her arms. The stark contrast in the temperature of their bodies set off alarm bells in the back of his mind as his hands wrapped around hers in an attempt to share some of his warmth.

He relaxed slightly as her head lolled to the side and came to rest on his shoulder. The rest of her body was a lot warmer, and the heat slowly began flowing into her limbs as well. She let out a deep sigh as her smoky gaze drifted up to meet his.

“2-2B!” 9S gasped, his whole body trembling and fighting against his desire to pull her into a tight embrace and never let go. “I-is it really you?”

“Mmm...” She nodded weakly. Another chill ran down his spine at that confirmation as an indescribable feeling threatened to burst from his chest. Millions of questions flashed through his mind, too fast for him to process or articulate. He simply stared into her eyes, dumbstruck as he fought for words.

“B-but... how?” Was all he could manage after some unknown time.

“Pod.” Her head tilted ever-so-slightly in the direction of her Tactical Support Unit hovering quietly above them.

Her pod bleeped a confirmation and began detailing the events of the past month before 9S even had a chance to react. He listened with as much attention as he could manage while carefully checking 2B over for anything that needed immediate attention. 042 shared the details on how it had managed to salvage her data and how it tirelessly worked to repair her body over the course of the past month.

2B buried her head in 9S' chest and groaned softly when her pod admitted that she wasted no time in getting up and searching for him after reactivation. Despite its constant proposals to wait for him to return to the surface so he could receive her messages, she stubbornly dragged herself as quickly as she could to him, unable to wait even a moment longer to reunite.

Before he could even manage to scold her for being so reckless with her body, her pod pulled up a voice clip from not one hour ago. It was distorted by rustling leaves and rushing water, but 2B's strained voice could still be heard through it all.

_“Pod...I don’t care if I have to claw my way to him inches at a time. I’m going to him. Now.”_

2B huffed and shot an accusing glare in her pod's direction. 9S could only smile and press his forehead against hers as those words caressed his ears.

“2B...” He breathed, shoulders shaking faintly as he let out a half laugh.

“Nines.” She mumbled back. Her lips curled upward into a faint smile, and had it not been for the soft glow in her eyes that accompanied it, he might not have even noticed it in the first place.

“You really... couldn't wait?” He let out a sharp sob as his face turned to mirror her smile.

She shook her head and hummed softly.

“I'm sorry...” He pulled her closer to him. “That I was down here for so long.”

“Don't be...” She hummed. “You had no way of knowing.”

“2B I...” He paused as he felt an uncomfortable churning in his gut. He shook his head as tears that had refused to fall since the day she lost her began to well up in his eyes once again. His vision blurred as he tried to blink them away and save them for later when 2B was safe and warm back at camp.

It seemed she had other ideas, however, as her hand slowly slid up his cheek and caught a glistening droplet on the tip of her finger. He let out another choked sob as 2B half pulled herself up, half pulled him down so their faces were level with each other.

“Nines.” She whispered, planting a soft kiss on the corner of his eye and stroking his other cheek with feather light touches. With just that, his resolve to wait shattered into a thousand pieces as his emotions flooded forth and he filled the cave with echoey sobs.

He curled in on himself, burying his face into the crook of 2B's neck as he let everything out. He blubbered on incoherently in an attempt to let her know about everything that had happened after he lost her. 2B listened patiently with a soft smile on her face as tears began welling up in her eyes as well. She wrapped her arm around his back and weaved her fingers through his hair as his sobs began to subside and his body fought to calm his trembling frame.

_She's alive, she's here, she's gonna be ok. It's all gonna be ok._

“2B.” He rasped after what seemed like hours of silently holding her in his arms. She pulled back and looked at him with tired, yet loving eyes.

Still shaking, his hand slid up her cheek until the tips of his fingers just barely weaved into her hair. He pulled her up to him, and lightly brushed his lips against hers before pulling back and looking into her eyes. Just that simple touch sent his heart into a frenzy, but before he could truly process what he just felt, 2B had pulled him back into a more solid, passionate kiss.

When the wave of chills ceased to roll down his spine, he pulled back breathlessly and gazed deep into her eyes.

“2B.” He breathed in a barely audible whisper. “I'm so glad... I'm so glad you're...”


End file.
